Amendments

In November 2024 links to sources of further information were updated.

This chapter has been updated in November 2024.

In November 2024 this chapter was refreshed.

In November 2024, information on Ofsted checks was added in to Section 5.1, Checks.

In November 2024 this chapter was refreshed.

In November 2024 this chapter was refreshed.

This chapter was added to the manual in November 2024.

In November 2024 links to guidance were updated.

In November 2024 this chapter was refreshed.

In November 2024, information was added to Section 3, Stage One-The Pre-Assessment Process, with details on how to request information about an applicant from Ofsted.

This chapter was updated in November 2024.

This chapter was added to the procedures manual in May 2024.

This chapter was refreshed throughout in May 2024.

This chapter was refreshed in May 2024.

In May 2024 additional information was added about online safety.

In May 2024 a link was added in Section 4, Assessment to BASW Age Assessment Practice Guidance. In Further Information, a link was added to Operation Innerste Process: Caseworker Guidance.

This chapter was refreshed throughout in May 2024 in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children. 

This chapter was refreshed throughout in May 2024.

This chapter was refreshed throughout in May 2024 in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

In May 2024 this chapter was updated in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children, to note that notifications should also be made of the death of a care leaver up to and including the age of 24. 

This chapter was refreshed throughout in May 2024 in line with revised Working Together to Safeguard Children.

This chapter was updated in May 2024. Information was added into Section 10, Special Guardian Duty on the Death of the Child, that the relevant local authority should be notified if the child was previously a looked after child.

In May 2024, Section 2, Ordinary Residence was updated in line with case law.

In May 2024 this chapter was updated to include information from Guidance - Placing Children: Deprivation of Liberty Orders - guidance for providers, social workers and placement commissioners on placing children, subject to a deprivation of liberty order (DoL), in unregistered settings and President of the Family Division Practice Guidance: Placements in Unregistered Children’s Homes in England or Unregistered Care Home Services in Wales.

This chapter was amended in May 2024 to include information from Special Educational Needs and Disability: Improving Local Authority Decision Making - Report of the Administrative Justice Council’s Working Group on Special Educational Needs and Disability.  Section 15, Resolving Disagreements was updated to include information on Guidance:  Carry Out an Order in Special Educational Needs Cases.

This chapter was added to the procedures manual in May 2024.

In May 2024 Section 10, Use of Inherent Jurisdiction to Authorise a Placement Involving a Deprivation of Liberty (trix please link) was updated throughout in line with Revised Practice Guidance on the Court’s Approach to Unregistered Placements (October 2023) and Revised National Listing Protocol for Applications that Seek Deprivation of Liberty Orders Relating to Children under the Inherent Jurisdiction.

In May 2024 information was added in relation to family group decision-making in Section 1, Introduction and Time Limits and Section 5, Pre-Proceedings, and a link added to chapter Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making.

In May 2024 this chapter was updated in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children.  New Section 3, Death of a Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24 was added.